I love learning. I love to read. I love to listen to podcasts. I love attending seminars. Here is my list for how to get the most out of what you learn:
- Schedule It. Your Reading/Learning Time. It could be 20 min a day with a book. It could be a podcast that you’re interested in. Whatever he subject is fine, just make sure you schedule it. We schedule business meetings, coffee dates, and time with our SO. Put learning/reading on your calendar and stick to it.
- Teach It. Tell Someone What You Just Learned. Within a short period after, not longer than 12 hours, tell someone what you discovered, and put it into your own words. Sure, you’ll use some of the words that the author used, but immediately you’ll start pulling from your own experiences, and the information will start becoming yours.
- Write It. I have multiple journals. There’s the morning pages journal, the daily note app that I use to document my day and process in real time, and then I have a huge spiral notebook that I use for when I need paper. And for idas like this. I like to go back to it and write down the nuggets that you picked up. Sometimes I’ll go back to them and the inspiration is perfect. Sometimes, it’s just a great reminder. But teach yourself in writing what you just learned, and it will help you remember it and actually use it.
Write it like this:
Take notes on one page, take YOUR notes on the other. Have you ever been listening to something, and something that you hear triggers a different thought? And that thought is incredibly valuable and important? Happens all the time to me, especially when I’m learning in a seminar. So I take notes in a very specific way. I write down the ideas I have from the speaker on the left side of my journal, and I write down my own ideas on the right side.
Do it. Anything you just learned create an action item for you? Do it! Take immediate action. Don’t delay. The best time to start moving towards a new goal or new idea is the moment that you have clarity in what you want. Momentum is your friend, so get the ball rolling quickly.